


Giving the Academy a Raincheck

by Corrie71



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Academy Era, Anal Sex, Boys Kissing, Bromance to Romance, First Kiss, First Time, Fluffy to angst to smut, Friends to Lovers, Hand Jobs, I Love You, Kissing, M/M, Making Out, Quitting, Starfleet Academy, Swearing, Temporarily Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-17
Updated: 2015-01-22
Packaged: 2018-03-07 22:53:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3186281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corrie71/pseuds/Corrie71
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bones convinces Jim not to quit the Academy...and later Jim repays the favor...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Two months into his first year at Starfleet Academy, Leo McCoy finished his medbay shift, just after eleven on an otherwise unremarkable Tuesday night. He headed out into the quiet campus, strolling toward his dorm and admiring the stars. As it was a pleasant evening, he took the long route back, desperate to burn off some of the energy buzzing through his blood from the stims he downed to stay awake during his shift. Though he had an early morning class, he wouldn’t be able to sleep for hours yet. 

A solitary figure, his head in his hands, sat on a duffel bag at the bus stop, near the main campus gate. Later, Leo would wonder what instinct made him stop and look back over his shoulder. Perhaps it was the golden hair, gleaming under the streetlamp, or the defeated slope of the guys’ shoulders. In his more romantic moments, he wondered if it was kismet, simply meant to be. 

“Jim? Jim Kirk?” The guy glanced up, his electric blue eyes red-rimmed. Leo remembered those eyes. They’d haunted his dreams for weeks. 

“Bones?”

“It’s Leo McCoy. Why aren’t you in uniform, kid?”

“I’m done.” Jim stood, his movements jerky and jittery. “I must have been crazy to come here. It’s not for me.”

“What happened?” Leo walked closer to him, remembering how he’d felt the first few weeks of college, though he’d been only fifteen at the time, lost and alone and miserable away from home and family. He doubted the kid from the shuttle with the busted face enjoyed the same safe, secure family background he’d had back then but still…college life was a tough adjustment no matter what.

“It’s all too much. I can’t handle it…living under a strict curfew…living all packed in with the other guys…they’re all idiots.”

“I heard the plebe dorms were overcrowded.” And Leo also knew what it was like to overcome an enormous age difference with roommates. Most of the other plebes were eighteen. Jim had at least four years on them—an enormous gulf at that age.

“And today, I got thrown out of Cameron’s seminar…again. Surely you’ve heard the story by now.”

“Sorry. Not in the medbay.” Leo shrugged. “You want to come tell me about it? I doubt there will be any more buses tonight anyway.” 

Jim glanced up and down the street and grabbed his duffle. Leo led him back to the dorm and warmed up his leftover spaghetti and bolognese sauce. He served them both, along with large glasses of milk, and sat down across the kitchen counter from Jim. 

“Okay, kid, what happened in your class?” 

“I disagreed with the prof.” Jim made short work of the plate Leo provided him. With a sigh, Leo grabbed another container of leftovers, warmed it and handed it to Jim. Though muscled, Jim tended toward skinny. Even if he ate all his carefully prepared meals for the week, Leo couldn’t begrudge him the food. He remembered being a bottomless pit once upon a time too. 

“And I suppose you disagreed loudly?” Leo asked and Jim shrugged, still shoveling in food. “Arguing with the profs will get you nowhere, no matter how moronic they are. You gotta learn to go along to get along.”

“Even if what they’re teaching is total bullshit?” 

“Yes, even if, because they give you your grade. Can you learn it well enough to spit it back on the test?” Somewhere David McCoy must be laughing to hear him give Jim all the same advice that David had bestowed on his own son once. Jim nodded, chewing thoughtfully. “Then that’s what you have to do. Don’t torpedo your future by arguing with a moron.”

“Cameron’s been after me since day one…”

“So what made today different?”

Jim licked sauce off his lower lip and swigged his milk. “He brought up my dad.”

Leo nodded. He hadn’t made the connection on the shuttle but, once he sobered up, he realized that he’d thrown up on the Kelvin baby, the son of heroic George and stoic Winona. “Sucks to live under that shadow”

“You have no idea.”

“I know it’s way worse for you but…my dad was head of neurosurgery at Peachtree General. When I picked that for my speciality…” Leo shook his head, remembering the snide remarks in the hall, the nasty asides, the attitude he got from nearly everyone. “I got lots of comments about being a legacy kid, getting into the program just because I was David McCoy’s son. You know it’s just motivated by jealousy, right?”

“Maybe.” Jim said, doubt in his voice.

“Want to know my daddy’s advice about it?” Jim pinned him with those intense blue eyes. Leo swallowed and said, “He told me that I needed to be so good that they couldn’t ignore me.”

“No pressure, huh?” Jim smiled as Leo nodded. “Thank you for dinner, Bones.”

“Why do you keep calling me that?”

Jim looked at him, mischief in his bright blue eyes, as he grinned. “You really don’t remember that shuttle ride, do ya?”

“Not too much. I figure dinner is the least I can do after throwing up on your shoes.” 

“Those were my favorite boots too!” Jim laughed. They cleared the table and tidied the kitchen. A quick glance at his chrono indicated it was already midnight and Leo still wasn’t the least bit sleepy.

“Just crash here for the night. You can catch a bus in the morning, okay?” Jim nodded his thanks, rubbing his palms over his face. “You want to catch a holo-vid or something?” 

They flopped down on his sofa and Leo queued up the first Harry Potter movie. Midway through, Jim said, “That Snape asshole reminds me of Cameron’s class.” 

“Yeah, if only you had a magic wand, huh, kid?”

“I kinda do.” Jim said with a leer and a wink. Leo rolled his eyes. He had heard those rumors in medbay. Apparently his handsome new friend had cut quite the swath through most of campus. They laughed together, settling in companionable silence. Jim fell asleep before the end of the movie. When the credits rolled, Leo tossed some blankets over him, tucking a pillow under Jim’s head, before headed to his bunk. 

* * *

When Jim woke the next morning, he rubbed his eyes, trying to figure out where he was. He was used to waking up in odd places but he rarely woke fully clothed on a strange couch. He sat up, examining the brightly patterned quilt tossed over him.

“Morning, kid.” A raspy voice said and Jim peeked over the back of the couch to see Bones. “Want coffee?”

“Sure.” Jim folded the quilt neatly and headed over to sit at the counter. “Thanks for letting me crash…”

“Listen, kid.” Bones drew a deep breath and then blurted out the next part very quickly. “My roommate washed out the first week. You want to bunk here instead of your four square?”

“You sure? You could have your own place.”

“Next semester, they’ll just stick me with some asshole I don’t even know. We’re all crammed in here like sardines.”

“So better to be with the asshole you know?

“Something like that. I mean, if you’re staying at the Academy anyway…” Leo grinned at him and Jim smiled back, feeling much better than he had since he’d arrived, like maybe, somehow, he’d finally found his way home.


	2. Chapter 2

_Eighteen months later…_

After being roommates for a year and a half, Jim knew Bones pretty well. For the last few weeks, ever since the winter term started, Bones seemed extra irritable, jumpy, and moody. He couldn’t relax at all, rejecting all Jim’s offers to go out and blow off some steam. Usually they were both always frenetically busy, yet, over the past few weeks, Bones often stared off into space or out a window, brooding. The doctor was hiding something. In short, Bones had a secret and it was making Jim crazy.

He didn’t think Bones was keeping mum on a new relationship. He compared his current behavior to when Bones first began dating Elizabeth Dehner, the most boring woman alive. There were no long nights out, no intense grooming sessions, no new clothes…whatever the doctor was hiding, it wasn’t romantic.

Jim also didn’t think that the secret had to do with classes or shifts at the medbay. As far as he could tell, all seemed well and normal there. Bones had even remarked that his class load eased up this semester. To his knowledge, Bones hadn’t spoken to anyone back in Georgia the entire time he’d known him so he doubted it was bad news from home. They had all the same friends and no issues there. _So what could it be?_

Finally, during one late night study session near midterms, Bones sat, staring out the windows, his reflection pensive as he chewed on his lower lip, his PADD full of notes ignored on his lap. Jim cracked. 

“Alright, Bones, out with it. What’s going on?”

“Hmmm?…oh, nothing. Just thinkin’.” Bones straightened in his chair, glancing at Jim before tapping the screen to wake up his PADD.

“About?”

Bones sighed and turned toward Jim, a serious look on his face. “You’ll know soon enough anyway. I got a job offer.”

“A posting? You’re only in second year. Isn’t it a bit early for that?

“No, it’s in Boston. Chief of Neurosurgery at the Curley Center.” 

“A civilian job?” 

Bones nodded. “Yeah, they’ll buy me out of my commitment here if I sign a five year contract. It’s a good deal, running a whole department like that…it’s the perfect job for me.”

“I see.” Jim’s heart slammed against his chest. _Bones is leaving me?_

“The salary’s great, Boston’s an awesome town, five years there and I could go anywhere I wanted.” 

“You wouldn’t be in Starfleet.” _You wouldn’t be with me._

“What’s an aviophobic old country doctor doing in Starfleet anyway?”

“I thought you liked the medical research…learning about other species…” Jim protested, trying to get his panicked brain to function enough to argue. 

“I do. But I could get research grants there too so…”

“So you’re going to take it?” 

“I don’t know, Jimmy. They’ve asked me to come out there to tour the facility, to meet with them…I thought I might.”

“When?” 

“Next weekend.”

“Can I come with you?” Jim blurted and Bones looked up at him, surprise on his face. “I mean, I’ve never been to Boston. I’ll tour the city, you can check this out, and we can hang at night. It’ll be fun to blow off steam after midterms. Good way to start off spring break.”

“Okay.” Bones flashed a smile at him. “Sounds good.” 

* * *

The following Saturday afternoon, after Bones finished up at the Curley Center, he walked aimlessly around Faneuil Hall, waiting to meet up with Jim so they could go eat dinner together in the North End. Bones grabbed a cup of coffee and sat on a bench, moodily sipping, as pigeons shifted around his feet, seeking crumbs. 

He’d just been offered his dream job and…he should take it. He totally should march back down to the hospital and sign the extraordinarily generous contract before they changed their minds. Everything about it was perfect…no more school, no more flying around in tiny shuttles, no whizzing around in space…and no more Jim.

Well, there it was. The crux of the problem. _Jim._

His roommate, his best friend, and…the love of his life. 

While Bones was distracted as he rebuilt his life out of the rubble of his awful, bitter divorce, Jim careened into his life and stole his heart. He had to leave Starfleet before he cracked one night when he was drunk or lonely or horny (or all three) and blabbed to Jim how he felt or kissed those pouty lips. And maybe for a night he’d get to hold his own personal star, but Bones had no illusions that Jim would entertain thoughts of more than that. Jim would never do long term, especially not with a guy like Bones. And that meant Bones had to go before he destroyed their friendship. 

No matter how much it hurt.

At sunset, a pink cheeked Jim strolled up, smiling, and sat next to Bones. He drank in the sight of Jim, bundled into his battered leather jacket, his hands in his pockets, the grey plaid scarf around his neck making his eyes look even more blue. 

“Hey man! I walked all over the city. I saw the little ducklings statute—they are so cute! And…” Jim trailed off, scrutinizing Bones’ face. “You’re going to take it, aren’t you?”

“I’d be a fool not to take it, Jim. It’s a beautiful place, state of the art operating rooms, amazing research facilities…”

Jim nodded, chewing his lip and toeing his boots along the brick sidewalk. “You’re sure?”

“Think so. Unless you see a reason I shouldn’t?”

Jim looked him full in the face then, his blue eyes brilliant in the indigo twilight. “I always thought you’d come as my CMO.”

“Jim, you will not be a captain right out of the Academy…”

“When I get my ship, I always imagined you beside me. If this is what you want, Bones, I’m happy for you. They’re lucky to have you. But…” Jim trailed off, his eyes still locked on Bones’ face. 

“But what?” Jim quirked up one side of his plush mouth and, before Bones even realized what he intended, grabbed the back of Bones’ head and pulled him forward, off balance. Bones caught Jim’s shoulders, his mouth falling open, as Jim claimed his mouth with his own in fiercely possessive kiss.

Jim sucked Bones’ lower lip into his mouth, tugging gently with his teeth, before sweeping his tongue in to explore. Gradually, Bones relaxed into the kiss, running his gloved hand up to cup Jim’s cheek, tangling his tongue with Jim’s as the kiss deepened. Jim tasted of cinnamon and smelled like apples. Bones craved more of it, of Jim.

Jim shifted against him, cuddling him closer, wrapping his arms around him. They broke apart, both breathing hard. Their eyes met and Bones loved seeing how dark with lust and passion Jim’s blue eyes were, deepening to sapphire and cobalt. Jim twined his fingers with his and pulled Bones to his feet. “Come on. The hotel has room service.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim and Bones enjoy one night together in Boston...or will it be more?
> 
> Or, this drabble went from fluffy to angsty to smutty in three short chapters :-)

Jim couldn’t bear the thought of Bones leaving him but, if he was going to go, at least they’d have tonight together. No matter what, Jim would make it a night to remember. They walked through the chilly twilight as the street lamps winked on, holding hands. When they got back to their hotel room, Jim crowded Bones up against the door, meeting his eyes as he made quick work of his belt and fly, slipping his gloved hand into Bones’ dress pants. Bones hissed as the cold leather wrapped around his cock before Jim claimed his mouth again. 

With his free hand, he caught the back of Bones’ head as he arched up into him. He licked his way down Bones’ neck, stroking all the while. Bones tugged off his thick gloves, palming Jim’s erection through the front of his jeans, groaning when he found him hard and ready for him. Jim rocked up into his hand eagerly and then pushed away. 

“Where you going, darlin’?” Bones said, his voice low and raspy.

“Getting rid of all these clothes.” Jim stripped quickly. “Wanna feel you skin to skin. Want you in me when I come. Want you.”

Bones moaned, clawing at his necktie, yanking his clothes off as he left them in a trail across the room. He pushed Jim down on one of the double beds, tugging his t-shirt over his head. In seconds, they rolled together on the bed, their naked bodies warming as they slid together. Jim broke away to fumble in his bag, handing Bones a tube of lube and laying back on the bed. 

“I’ve waited a long time for you but…this first time, it’ll be quick.” Jim said, grabbing Bones for a too brief kiss. “But don’t worry, baby, I’ll love you all night.”

“That sounds like a line.” Bones said, rolling his eyes.

“A promise.” Jim whispered, trying not to let his feelings show in his eyes. He’d never loved anyone other than Bones, ever. And now he was going to lose him. Relentlessly, he shoved the thought away, focusing on how good it felt to have Bones touch him…finally. When Bones pressed a lube slicked finger against his hole and pressed inside, Jim let his eyes fall shut, grabbing the headboard for support, willing his body to open for Bones. He added a second finger, sliding in and out gently, maddeningly slow. Jim arched up and gasped when Bones brushed his sweet spot with his fingertips. 

“Come on, already. Need your cock.” Bones shuddered but shook his head, gently adding a third finger. After what seemed an eternity, he withdrew his fingers. Jim rolled onto his stomach as Bones positioned himself behind him. Finally, when Jim was nearly out of his mind with lust, need, and desire, Bones pressed the thick head of his cock against his opening, breaching him slowly, by degrees. Jim slammed his hips back, impaling himself on Bones, loving the way Bones felt filling him, causing his lover to gasp as his body engulfed him. “Oh Bones, please move.”

Bones grabbed at his hips, pulling him back and bottoming out, brushing Jim’s prostate. He kissed the back of Jim’s neck as he thrust deep, pounding into him. He slid a hand around Jim’s hips, teasing his balls before clasping around his cock, stroking in time with his thrusts. Lost in the overwhelming intensity of the sensation, Jim gasped his lover’s name before climaxing just as Bones poured his own release inside him. They collapsed together on the bed, both panting. Bones rolled off and Jim threw an arm around him, cuddling him against his side. 

“Still seeing stars over here, Bones. You’re a fantastic lay.” 

“Not so bad yourself there, Jimmy.” Bones stroked his shoulders. Jim rolled to face him and pressed a brief kiss to his plush mouth. 

“Let’s order room service and take a shower before round two.” 

“Round two?” Bones said. “How many rounds are you planning?

“As many as it takes.” 

* * *

Sometime after midnight, Bones lay on his back, cradling a sleeping Jim to his chest. Though physically exhausted, littered with bruises and love bites, he couldn’t shut his brain off. _Should he take this job? Could he tear himself away from Jim after this? After a taste of how incandescent they could be together, when they surrendered to the passion blazing between them?_

If only Jim would consider more than this one night…

He couldn’t bear to go back to San Francisco and play wingman as Jim racked up notch after notch in his bedpost. If this one night was all he got, he could accept that, eventually. But he couldn’t stand by and watch Jim move on, not after knowing what he was missing. He’d just have to make the most of tonight. 

He tilted Jim’s face up, brushing kisses over his cheeks and mouth. Jim didn’t wake. They’d already gone five rounds. He must have really tuckered the poor kid out. Bones smiled and tucked the blanket over his shoulder, cuddling him close. 

And maybe he could talk Jim into more than this in the morning…

* * *

Bones woke to bright sunshine streaming in, Jim beside him, his head propped on one hand as his other slowly stroked Bones’ rock hard cock. 

“Morning, handsome.” Jim said, cheerfully. Bones arched up into his hand, trying to remember the careful speech he’d crafted after Jim fell asleep in his arms the night before. 

“Feel good?” Jim swiped his thumb over the head, tracing pressure all the way down his shaft, and cupping his fingers under Bones’ balls before repeating his action. _Damn coordinated bastard._ Jim swung a leg over Bones and lowered himself down on his hard cock. After the intense passion of the night before, Bones’ cock was way too sore for this. He didn’t care. He grabbed Jim’s hips, rocking himself up into him, pulling him down harder, his eyes locking on Jim’s face as they thrust together. Jim rolled his hips back as he spilled over Bones’ belly in a warm rush. Bones thrust up again, burrowing deep as he shook and shuddered through his release. Jim collapsed on his chest, breathing hard.

“Bones, I’m so proud of you. Congratulations on your job. But…” Jim raised his head and bit his lip, his blue eyes locking on Bones’ face. 

“But what?”

“I don’t want you to go.” Jim stared at Bones. 

“Why?”

“Because…because I need a CMO.” Jim said and Bones shut his eyes against the hurt. He shifted Jim aside, trying to be glad that Jim had confirmed what he’d suspected. Jim wasn’t interested in romance or a relationship. He got to have Jim for one night only. He hoped the memories would be enough. 

“Well, there are lots of other, very well-qualified Starfleet doctors you can pick from in about five years when you actually get a ship.” Bones sat up, shifting the sheets to cover up, feeling raw and exposed. He was ten thousand times a fool for hoping for more.

Jim put a warm hand on his shoulder. “Because you’re my best friend and a great roommate and…”

Bones patted his hand, keeping his face carefully turned away. “You’ll be fine, Jim.”

“Because…because…” Jim stuttered and fell silent. Bones looked at him, surprised to see how pale and sweaty Jim was. Finally he raised his gaze to Bones and blurted, “Because somewhere along the way we became an “and.”

“An and?”

“Jim and Bones. Bones and Jim. We…belong together. You’re my Bones and…” Jim sucked in a deep breath and blew it out, screwing his eyes shut as though facing a firing squad. “I love you.”

Bones said nothing, staring at Jim, torn between hope and shock. Jim repeated himself and opened his eyes. “I want you to stay. I want us to be…more than friends.”

“For how long?”

“I think…maybe…forever or as long as you’ll have me. That is, if you feel the same…do you…uh…feel the same?”

Bones smiled, watching Jim twist the sheets in his nimble fingers, worrying at his bottom lip. Bones cupped his cheeks in his hands, tilting his face up, kissing those plush lips. Joy and relief cartwheeled through him. “Love you too. So, do you want to move to Boston?”

“If that’s what you want, we’ll figure it out. I’ll finish at the Academy as quick as I can and get a posting near here and…”

“And how about we just go home to San Francisco and get you that starship you want so much?”

“Does that mean you’ll come sail the stars with me?”

“Darlin, home is where you are.” Bones pressed him back into the bed to seal their promise with a deep kiss. “Besides, you need a CMO.”

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the song, “It’s Time” by Imagine Dragons. An Academy Era McKirk song to me. The title comes from a line in the song.
> 
> This was supposed to be just a drabble (famous last words). It's complete at three chapters. Will post more later this week. 
> 
> Many thanks to WeWillSpockYou for her awesome beta help.


End file.
